


Triumvirate

by Missy



Category: Dirty Dancing (1987)
Genre: Bittersweet, Dancing, Dating, Developing Relationship, Friendship, Hippies, Humor, Living Together, Multi, Post-Canon, Romance, Slice of Life, Triple Drabble, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: It takes two dates for Penny to realize things with Johnny will never work out.It takes three years for Johnny to figure out how Baby works.It take them four decades to figure out they belong together, but they get there eventually.
Relationships: Johnny Castle & Frances "Baby" Houseman & Penny Johnson, Johnny Castle/Frances "Baby" Houseman, Penny Johnson/Johnny Castle
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35
Collections: Yuletide Madness 2019





	Triumvirate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rydain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rydain/gifts).



It takes Penny three dates to realize that Johnny’s not going to work out as a romantic partner. As a dance partner, of course – he’s light on his feet, responsive, and knows how to lock his frame. But even at sixteen she knows he’s way too bossy to be any kind of boyfriend to her.

Johnny, to his credit gets it – and it’s not as if he wants to be a pain in the ass. So they become friends and it’s better that way, much more wonderful and friendly and easy to take instead of buckling under the expectations of romantic pressure. 

Though she sometimes looks at him and wonders what might have been, had she been more patient. 

*** 

It takes Johnny three months to figure out how things work in Baby’s world. That’s less about trying to make sure that he doesn’t step on any country club toes and more about trying to understand how the counterculture thinks, man.

Johnny is a rebel. He’s more James Dean than Roger Daltery. But he’s willing to try to help people work toward a common goal. 

Spending time at a co-op or a commune – as long as he did it with Baby – felt like worthwhile time spent together, anyway.

When he tells Penny this, she can’t help but laugh.

*** 

Four decades pass by before Penny moves into their little house in Westchester. Johnny and Baby’s kids make a couple of comments but are careful to avoid saying anything too untoward about it. Aunt Penny’s always been in their lives, so having her live with them makes simple sense. They don’t want to know if beds are being shared along with a dance school’s stewardship.

The dances and the friendship and the love shared are more than worth the questioning glances.


End file.
